| Author |
Topic:
A community building excercise
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TheBoogieMan
Title: Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Nov '01
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Date Posted:
9/10/05 8:14pm
Subject:
A community building excercise
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I was thinking the other day, that the FF in general doesn't have anywhere near as connected an atmosphere as the JC does (I know that's not saying much, but eh). While I can understand that the FF isn't particularly aiming to have the feeling of one huge group of fans as opposed to lots of smaller groups of localisation, I think a bit of community atmosphere would be a good thing.
For example - FF community has got to be one of the slowest 'community' forums out there. Similarly, I do not expect anyone to reply to this post for at least a few days because, quite frankly there is no point in checking FF comms because nothing goes on here! (And probably a good thing too!)
However, I thought I'd share this idea with you, as a possible excercise in community building.
Consider FFUK's Awards thread. What if, at the end of every year, or maybe even 6 months (much sooner and I don't think there would be enough material...) the FF in general had an awards thing similar to this? It strikes me as being similar to what the State Government does here in Australia - tidy town awards etc. So you get everyone to vote on - and thus getting them to visit other fanforces - awards such as:
Best FanForce (I know that'd just be more like, "How many people from your own FF can you get to vote?", but it would still garner competition - or you could possibly change the criteria to "Best FF you aren't a part of")
Best New FanForce
Best FF Banner
Best FF Icon
Most hardworking CR
Most spamworthy FF
etc. You get the idea.
The point of this isn't the awards, but the competition and community they create. It also would solidify each fanforce (OUR banner is best, thankyou very much!) and create even a little bit of achievement.
Now, as to the handing out of the awards - I'm not saying that prizes have to be huge or anything, just maybe some simple running text (god, I don't know the proper phrase for it - you know, the text that moves!  ) down the bottom of the main page, or a temporary change in the motto, or even just a thread.
Personally, I believe that such an event, if implemented well and advertised, could bring quite a pleasant change in environment (or at least start a change) in the FF in general.
Your thoughts?
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Woofer
Title: FF CR Emeritus
Niagara Falls ON Canada
Registered:
Aug '01
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Date Posted:
9/10/05 8:31pm
Subject:
RE: A community building excercise
- Date Edited:
9/10/05 8:33pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Woofer
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The biggest, and the most important difference with FanForce compared to the JC, is that in FanForce you actually meet the other people face to face!
That is the community. Not some online only, where a lot of people hide in anonymity, snide remark posts that I find prevalent in other forums.
Having that real life connection is what really makes FanForce work, and the FF forums reflect that to an extent. Why post stuff when you are hanging out together in person, or you can simply call the others?
Sure, there can be things that FanForce as a whole can do to appear more cohesive, but its always seems to me to be one of those organizations which is greater because of the sum of all its parts.
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John H. VanOphem
Übergeek
Buddhism: Birth. Work. Death. Repeat if necessary.
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TheBoogieMan
Title: Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Nov '01
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Date Posted:
9/10/05 8:59pm
Subject:
RE: A community building excercise
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Yeah, but surely it couldn't hurt? I understand that the best thing about FF is that you meet people face-to-face, but you only meet people in your area face-to-face. Surely a bit of overall cohesion wouldn't go astray?
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Woofer
Title: FF CR Emeritus
Niagara Falls ON Canada
Registered:
Aug '01
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Date Posted:
9/11/05 8:19am
Subject:
RE: A community building excercise
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Well actually I've met FanForce people from all over.
My local FanForce is entering a parade in 2 weeks, for the 4th year, and once again we've invited people from all over to join us. We usually have representatives from at least 4 or 5 FF chapters.
Attending a large convention like Dragon*Con, San Diego Comic Con or Celebration is also a way to meet FF members.
You idea has merit. I do agree that FanForce as an organization doesn't appear to be that united compared to other fan organizations like the 501st and Rebel Legion, but FanForce isn't really designed to be like that anyways. I know there have been efforts in the past to change that, but FanForce is a slippery beast thats really hard to pin down. Part of its appeal and mainly in part to the whole worldwide nature of the group. What might work well in the States may not work in Canada, and will certainly be met with derision in the UK as an example.
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John H. VanOphem
Übergeek
Buddhism: Birth. Work. Death. Repeat if necessary.
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Dark_Lady_Jada
Registered:
Dec '04
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Date Posted:
9/11/05 7:21pm
Subject:
RE: A community building excercise
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Best New FanForce
Best FF Banner
Best FF Icon
Most hardworking CR
Most spamworthy FF
OK, I think those are great ideas. I can answer two of those question right away:
Best New FanForce - Tucson
Most spamworthy FF - Denver 
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SSA Council Master Training Qui-Gon-Matt Blue Master's Veangeful Battle Wench of Destruction & Raiser of the Blue Stick AHBY| Ward 316|181St Lead Adopter of SciChik  Salty get well! 
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LukeSkiewalker
Title: Founder Heart of the Alliance KC, MO FF
Registered:
Apr '03
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Date Posted:
9/11/05 7:54pm
Subject:
RE: A community building excercise
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Well there is a reason I don't hang out in the JC. I really and not a huge fan of online forums other than as a source of information. I really think that if FF's want to form a larger community they will take the initiative to do so. Case in point: Our FF and the St L. FF are currently planning a Midwest Regional FF event. SO far it looks like we are going to have folks from all of the FF's come together. I would much rather put my energy and time to trying to do that than I would trying to created a stronger online community. My group kind of uses our forums as a place to have something to do in between meetings and events. I don't think you would find one person that thinks it is a replacement for F2F interaction.
I'm not going to dissuade you from doing any of the contests you mentioned, I just don't see the need to create a stronger community. I think it is strong as is.
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TheBoogieMan
Title: Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Nov '01
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Date Posted:
9/12/05 3:54am
Subject:
RE: A community building excercise
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Okay, so maybe not a desperate need for online community in the FF, but I still think this would promote some of the FF's going out of their way and 'meeting' people from other, international Fan Forces.
Anyway, I'd be interested to hear what any of the GSA's think about this...
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HawkNC
Title: FanForce RSA
Oceania
Registered:
Oct '01
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Date Posted:
9/12/05 7:38pm
Subject:
RE: A community building excercise
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I'm not a GSA, but hopefully nobody minds me throwing in my 2c (it's all I have left after filling up my car  ):
I'm all for trying to get the various FFs to converse a little more - most are very region-centric, usually through no fault of their own but rather as a result of the way FanForce is structured. FanForce should never be online-only, but neither should the individual chapters limit themselves to conversing only with people they are able to meet IRL. I'm especially interested in getting some more international cooperation between the chapters.
Posting in FFC doesn't need much time and energy, it's just a place to talk to people you might not otherwise talk to. Right now there's a huge amount of social threads in there, which can be daunting, but I'm in full support of revamping the forum and making it a friendlier, more open place. For it to get any new traffic, of course, would require the CRs and RSAs to increase awareness of the forum amongst their members (I know most FFers here in Australia don't even know or care that FFC exists), and we'd need their support for such a project to succeed.
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TheBoogieMan
Title: Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Nov '01
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Date Posted:
9/13/05 5:50am
Subject:
RE: A community building excercise
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Precisely, Hawk.
I actually had a good look at FFC the other day... it's more than daunting. It is scary. I know no-one, and it is all social threads! I was looking to post anywhere at the time as I was bored, but I couldn't be bothered joining another social thread just to get to know the people in FFC... I think opening it up a bit would be a great move.
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Dark_Lady_Jada
Registered:
Dec '04
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Date Posted:
9/13/05 10:30am
Subject:
RE: A community building excercise
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One of the things I'm doing to get some interaction between the Southwest Region is hosting a "Sock Fest" game next week in the South West Regional Discussion forum. I wanted to test drive it on the Southwest and then perhaps try it in the FFC. 
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SSA Council Master Training Qui-Gon-Matt Blue Master's Veangeful Battle Wench of Destruction & Raiser of the Blue Stick AHBY| Ward 316|181St Lead Adopter of SciChik Salty get well!
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TheBoogieMan
Title: Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Nov '01
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Date Posted:
9/18/05 10:39am
Subject:
RE: A community building excercise
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Any GSA's at all?
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Spike_Spiegel
Title: Former FF Administrator
Former Saga Mod
Registered:
Aug '02
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Date Posted:
9/19/05 5:49pm
Subject:
RE: A community building excercise
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We're working on reviving FFC as we speak...or type rather. Any ideas are welcome. We already have chosen a team of dedicated mods (RSAs who will become the FFC team) in order to have a team of leaders in the forum
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The World According to Geek An online comic strip http://www.twatgeek.com http://www.myspace.com/theworldaccordingtogeek Updated every Sunday!
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TheBoogieMan
Title: Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Nov '01
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Date Posted:
9/19/05 8:54pm
Subject:
RE: A community building excercise
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So who's jurisdiction does this idea fall under?
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HawkNC
Title: FanForce RSA
Oceania
Registered:
Oct '01
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Date Posted:
9/19/05 9:54pm
Subject:
RE: A community building excercise
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This would be the responsibility of the group of RSAs who have volunteered to mod FFC.
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Come now, do you really expect me to do coordinate substitution in my head while strapped to a centrifuge?
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Obi Anne
Title: FanForce RSA
Europe
Registered:
Nov '98
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Date Posted:
9/20/05 2:59am
Subject:
RE: A community building excercise
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I think all of you who are afraid to post in the FFC due to the social threads should try to start new kinds of threads in there. Us oldbies, who like to hang out in the social thread, has a tendency to discuss all things inside those threads, and it would be great to see some new faces in there.
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Tea one, proud member of the Tea Squad, FanForce Meeting 2006, Berlin  GSADMINCOACHEMPERORRULERPRESIDENTTSARMINISTERQUEEN liuba 
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TheBoogieMan
Title: Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Nov '01
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Date Posted:
9/21/05 7:46am
Subject:
RE: A community building excercise
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HawkNC posted:
This would be the responsibility of the group of RSAs who have volunteered to mod FFC.
And of course they would be....?
And when does this new era of FF Community begin, exactly?
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